Realization
by EndDragon
Summary: Has he finally come around? Perhaps.... KakaRin ONESHOT. Please R


_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of the characters in it.**_

_Thoughts_

**Memories**

"Speech"

Hey guys, I know I need to work on GoM, but I just haven't gotten the next few chapters right. Yes, I am going to post about three at once when I get around to it. However, this is just a simple oneshot I came up with. Please R&R!

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He grabbed the wrist that was connected to the fist flying at his head, and with honed agility, placed his other arm at the elbow, flinging his teammate over his head and to the ground a few feet away.

"ARGH!" Obito growled as he was downed for the thousandth time by Kakashi.

"Hmph." Was the masked boy's only reply as he started to walk away. Behind him, Rin was seeing to Obito's injuries. _When will he learn? At least Rin can heal...he can do nothing..._ he thought icily as he left the training area.

After Rin had finished making sure Obito was alright, she turned to their sensei, non other than the Yellow Flash himself, and asked: "Why does he act that way all the time? All we do is try to help him..."

Her sensei sighed before answering. "Kakashi is dealing with a great pain, and being so strict and cold is how he copes with it..."

"But what..." she started but Obito interrupted;

"I don't CARE what pain he is dealing with! He doesn't have to treat us like dirt!"

Minato nodded and decided it was time to finally tell them about Kakashi. Maybe they'd understand... "When he was very little, Kakashi's father killed himself right in front of him. His father was the legendary White Fang, who was shamed by the village after choosing to save his comrades rather than completing his mission. That's why he's always so strict. He has always had to live down the reputation his father gave his entire name."

Obito was abnormally silent and Rin looked as though she were about to cry.

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_**(TIMESKIP -- 1 year later)**_

_It'd been 8 months since the death of Obito, and barely 7 since their sensei was taken from them. _Rin thought as she walked home carrying armfuls of groceries. Her and Kakashi hadn't talked much since after Minato's death, and she knew that he blamed himself. Now she began to wonder how he was holding up, when suddenly, she felt some bags start to leave her arms. Her mind instantly thought _Mugger!_ only to be answered by a familiar voice:

"Here. Let me help." At that, she let him take a few of the bags.

"Thank you."

He nodded. "You're welcome." was his reply as he fell into step next to her.

Not too long ago, she would have blushed at him being so kind, and inside she still did. However, she had long ago accepted that he would never be able to return her feelings. It was difficult, but she knew she had to move on.

After maybe twenty minutes, they arrived at her house and she opened the door, leading him in.

"Where do you want these?" he asked in his usual, casual tone.

"Just sit them on the kitchen counter."

He nodded and did just that. He came back into the living room (a large, but plainly decorated space), and for a long while just looked at her. As she started to get uncomfortable and sat down, he broke the silence.

"I'm sorry....so sorry..." he started.

Her eye grew wide and her voice did little to mask her surprise: "For what?"

He looked down, apparently ashamed and continued: "They were my fault!" he was nearly yelling, but even now his pride refused to allow him. "It's my fault my father died, it's my fault we lost Obito, and it's my fault we lost Sensei!"

He slumped into a seat next to her and sighed, a single tear falling from his right eye. She could think of only one thing to do. She started rubbing his back gently and telling it was ok, that she didn't blame him, and that it really wasn't his fault. He just shook his head and more tears started to fall.

"How could any of them have been your fault?!" she demanded.

"I am too weak...My father died because I was blind to him, Obito died because I wasn't strong enough to save him, and Sensei died because I was too stupid to stop him attempting what I knew would kill him!" he raged at himself, the tears falling freely now.

"Don't say those thing. You couldn't have helped any of them..." She wasn't sure about her next move, so she did something she'd wanted to do since she'd first met him. She pulled him into a tight hug. She held him there a long time, listening to him cry for what seemed like eternity.

Finally, he stopped. His normal self had regained control. Or so she thought.

"Rin...I need to ask you something."

"Of course Kakashi, what is it?" she asked, expecting him to ask her not to tell anyone of this in his normal, cold manner.

"Will you meet me...on the hill outside the village....at sunset tonight?" His tone was nervous, and she could swear he was sweating.

"Sure Kakashi...." _He didn't just...? No...not me....I'm dreaming..._

"Good." His tone was now confident, and for the first time, he wrapped his arm around her and hugged her. She could have melted, feeling his strong, muscular arms around her. Removing every ounce of cold the autumn air had instilled in her. She wished she could stay here forever, but far too soon:

"I'll see you tonight...and please, try to remain beautiful." He said before backing away and vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Her face was bright red and she was sure she'd just imagined that little event....

**Four Hours Later**

When Rin got to the hill, she gasped at what she saw. There was a picnic blanket at the top of the hill, with a basket of food in the middle, and candles lit around the blanket. At the base of the hill was a campfire with a log large enough to rest on about4 or so feet away from it. The moon was full and just starting to come into the sky. And to complete the picture, the man she'd always dreamt of having sat atop the picnic blanket. He took her hand and helped her sit. She hadn't changed her clothes from earlier, too afraid that it might jinx what had happened.

He smiled at her from behind his mask as he pulled out the food from the basket.

"How was I so blind?"

"Huh?" she squeaked out.

"I always thought that no one cared...and that even if they tried, they would die shortly thereafter. But I missed the one consistency. But no more."

She could feel the heat rush to her face as her cheeks turned crimson. "I...um..."

He just shook his head and handed her a sandwich. They began to eat...

After a few hours, they had retreated from the hill to the sitting in front of the log by the fire. Kakashi had one arm draped around Rin's waist, holding her to him. They were silent, but as a wolf howled in the distance Kakashi finally heard Rin speak.

"Now I need you to do something for me." She seemed both nervous and confident at the same time.

"Shoot." he replied calmly.

She looked thoughful before going on: "I need you to kiss me. It's the only way I'll be able to tell if you're serious or if this is all just the guilt talking...."

He nodded. "I think I can manage that..." he said quietly and leaned toward her a little as he pulled down his mask.

Upon seeing his face, she blushed so deeply she thought she must look like a tomato. He just smiled warmly as his free hand came up and gently caressed her cheek. Both of her arms came up around his neck as she leaned toward him...

A wolf howled in the distance as their lips touched. In the kiss, Kakashi tried to convey every once of guilt he felt, along with how much he had only recently realized he cared for her.

As their lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen, they pulled back, breathing heavily.

"Well?" he gasped cautiously.

She smiled one of her warm smiles and just pulled him back for another kiss.

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There you have it, my KakaRin OneShot! I hope you liked it! A little OOC yes, and I had the team find out about Kakashi the way **I** wanted, but I hope it was ok.

PLEASE R&R!!!! Or no more stories at all! (Evil? yes! lol)

~EndDragon


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